Wednesday 9^th September, 2020 2000

I have a girl who was allegedly ill all last term. Not sure I swallow that but she wants to have a chance at the exam for last term. So, for the sake of fifteen minutes I have to go to campus tomorrow and go through the motions. I can't even average out her homework as she never did any. She will however pass if she can get me a green health code for Qinghai province and Xining!

Talking of Xining, a travel catastrophe is long overdue considering the fact everything went swimmingly during the summer break. And sure enough, one seems to be brewing.

Jody was being evasive and dilatory every time I approached her regarding obtaining train tickets. I would far rather she had been honest and stated she wasn't going after all – for whatever reason. However I was given obfuscation after obvious fabrication as to why she couldn't order our train tickets online (her bank card was reinstated but only to withdraw cash, a blatant lie, when I said ok, come and show me how to do it with my card she was too tired and said oh, just go yourself, stuff like that) so today I went to the train station, the only way I know to do it.

I got my ticket to Xining but the clerk told me the return tickets weren't on sale yet. I was bloody sure they were because I checked online this morning but it's difficult to argue when your laptop is at home so had to take his word for it.

Unless the online touts have made a monumental error not only were they on sale but are now almost completely sold out. There are some slow train hard seats and sleeper tickets still available but at this late stage what are the chances of me getting a bottom bunk? No way on earth can I clamber up those frames without getting stuck, falling off or incurring a hernia, not to mention huge embarrassment. I shall return to the ticket office after testing the student but my gut says I am going to possibly end up paying a fortune for a taxi all the way back unless I can get a hard seat and I hate those.

But I am damned if being alone is going to stop me. I have booked it now and this time I cannot cancel without losing my money so I will have my luxury and my western breakfast. And my Brazilian barbecue and whatever the other restaurant serves. I did offer the opportunity to Adriana but she will be touring Inner Mongolia with her parents. Fine by me, I will just be a boring old fart only leaving my room for breakfast, dinner and of course the complimentary booze in Club Millesime. My sort of break!

It will though be the last time I ever offer to take Jody anywhere. I don't like to be lied to, especially using ones which are as transparent as cellophane noodles.

After the ticket office I went to Burger King. I almost walked, Google Maps said it was 700 yards but as there was light rain I took a taxi. Good job. 700 yards my backside! The estimated 10 mins walk would have been an hour! Worse, it said turn left out of the station when it had to be right!

I now have the rest of my timetable. The English department sent me one with a very long day, all three classes in one day – periods 3,4,5,6,7,8. All credit, all in the same classroom and all on the ground floor. Except they said Tuesday. I have already been assigned 5,6,7,8 Tuesdays by the other department. I guessed they had erred and meant Thursday and I was right. So I will hate Thursdays but on the bright side it means I have Fridays off. Quite when I can top up my electricity is unsure, no problem if the Auntie works on Tuesday mornings though. If not then arrangements will need to be made.